Nico Hulkenberg explains how Franco Colapinto braking 'a 100m earlier' triggered his spin

Nico Hulkenberg believes his spin during the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix was caused by Franco Colapinto braking earlier than expected. Speaking to Sportskeeda after the race, the Sauber driver described the event as a dull and processional affair around the Marina Bay circuit.

Having outqualified his teammate for the first time since the summer break, Hulkenberg started 11th on the grid. However, a mid-race spin dropped him to the back, and from there, it was an uneventful run to the finish. He eventually crossed the line a lap down in 20th place.

Reflecting on the incident, Nico Hulkenberg said Colapinto’s early braking caught him off guard, leading to a loss of downforce when running closely behind. That, he explained, caused the rear axle to lock up and sent him into a spin, capping off what was a weekend to forget.

Asked by Sportskeeda about his spin and what led to it, Nico Hulkenberg replied:

“Not a bit of a spin, a spin. Yeah, a spin. Pretty big one, actually. Lucky not to hit anything. Franco braked 100 metres early, which I'm not sure why. Probably wanted to surprise me somehow, which, you know, succeeded with that. But the problem is, you know, when you get close, the rear downforce just drops away completely, the rear axle, you know, locked up instantly and, yeah, there's nothing you can do then.”

Describing his race at large, he said:

"I prefer not to. It was long, dull, boring, static."

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Nico Hulkenberg reckons that the modern F1 cars have deprived the Singapore GP of racing

Nico Hulkenberg believes that the nature of modern F1 cars, which generate excessive downforce, has made the Singapore Grand Prix increasingly dull. For the second consecutive year, the Marina Bay Street Circuit saw no safety car periods or major incidents, a stark contrast to its previous record of a 100% safety car rate.

The 38-year-old driver suggested that with fewer mistakes and crashes, the race has lost much of its unpredictability. He added that while drivers tend to push the limits during qualifying on Saturday, they adopt a far more conservative approach on race day.

Asked about the Singapore GP being tame for the second time in a row, Nico Hulkenberg said:

“I don't want to say some people should crash, but some people should maybe have a, you know, a bit more race action. But, you know, it goes all back to these cars. It's just.. I don't know, maybe too much grip, you know, too much downforce and too safe that way, and you know, we all know it's a fine line."

"So obviously said today, you know, quali we push all out, but Sunday, you know, we all need to leave some margin, and when we do that, you know, we end up with races like this. So I think I feel it's a bit connected with these kind of cars now that have so much downforce. Yeah, maybe it will be different next year.”

Hulkenberg has scored 37 points for Sauber this season, including a podium finish in his maiden year with the team. Breaking his long podium drought at Silverstone, the German driver has enjoyed his most successful campaign to date.

However, since that breakthrough result, his performance has dipped compared to the strong form he showed in the first half of the season. Sauber currently sits eighth in the Constructors’ Championship with 55 points.